Orthopedic fixation devices may be used, for example, to stabilize an injury, to support a bone fracture, to fuse a joint, and/or to correct a deformity. An orthopedic fixation device may be attached permanently or temporarily, and may be attached to the bone at various locations, including implanted within a canal or other cavity of the bone, implanted beneath soft tissue and attached to an exterior surface of the bone, or disposed externally and attached by fasteners such as screws, pins, and/or wires. Some orthopedic fixation devices allow the position and/or orientation of two or more bone pieces, or two or more bones, to be adjusted relative to one another. Orthopedic fixation devices are generally machined or molded from isotropic materials, such as metals including, for example, titanium, titanium alloys, stainless steel, cobalt-chromium alloys, and tantalum.
Treatment of fractures that require open reduction and fixation usually heal normally without issues. In some cases, however, this normal healing response is impaired due to the presence of an infection. Once an infection is present, it is believed that a biofilm can form on an implant within 24 hours. Once formed, the biofilm provides an environment that protects microbes from antibiotics, thereby making eradication of the infection much more difficult. Further, the formation of a biofilm can result in later infections. If repeat infections are an issue before a fracture heals, then an exchange of the hardware may be required. If infections occur after the fracture has healed, then the hardware must be removed. Once the hardware with a suspected biofilm is removed, the infection issues usually resolve. An implant that resists biofilm formation has the potential to substantially reduce the incidence of hardware-related infections and also to substantially reduce the number of additional operations required in infected patients. Thus, there remains a need for further development of biofilm resistant implants and methods of producing the same. The present invention addresses this need and provides other benefits and advantages in a novel and unobvious manner.